Today is the 17th of May, Norway’s constitution day, or Nasjonaldagen as they say in Norwegian. What better way to celebrate the day for me, rather than to tell you the story of my latest bicycle project from Norway.
A while back, for those who follow me on Instagram, I posted some images of an odd racer bicycle that I just acquired and was riding home in the snow. It was a 1930’s Norwegian Diamant that I rode home in December. The interesting thing about this bicycle might not be the bicycle it self, but more the interesting and rather special story behind it and is a large reason why I will not rebuild or refurbish the bicycle.
First of all, let us start from the beginning about the brand. Back in 1901 a successful Norwegian competition rider named Aksel Gresvig, started a bicycle and sports equipment shop in Oslo, the capital of Norway. A few years later he started manufacturing his own bicycles that he sold in his shop. The brand names where Diamant and Thor. Along the years the shop expanded more and more and even survived the economical difficulties during the 1920’s. The business went so well that he acquired other shops along the years and grew to become one of the largest sport retailer in Norway.
The bicycle manufacturing went rather well and the company had over 150 employees in the 1940’s and manufactured well over 10.000 bicycles yearly. But after the war the bicycles heydays were over, the manufacturing declined and finally after a fire that destroyed the Oslo located factory in the 1970’s, they stopped making bicycles completely. But the Gresvig brand continued as an sport equipment retailer up to 2020 when they filed for bankruptcy.
My bicycle is most likely made in the mid 1930’s. With the frame rather light weight and slightly leaning forward it is a rather sporty everyday runner. Or as what we in the Scandinavian countries say, a tourist or half racer. This particular bicycle has the typical drop handlebars with soft curves, freewheel gearing on the rear hub, toe clips on the pedals and no lights more than a cats eye reflector mounted on the rear fender. The bicycle is now just as I bought it, and the previous owner had not changed a ting on the bicycle during his time as owner as I understand it. The tires seems to be the original Viking tires, made by Askim Gummivarefabrik but are all cracked due to old age and standing on the rims with deflated tires. The original saddle and saddle bag are i good condition, after a rub of leather grease they look a bit more lively.
Here comes the interesting story about this particular bicycle. I was told that this bicycle was used as an model for a statue on display in Oslo called “The man with the bike”. The reason of this being a historical event that occurred in the early morning of 9 April 1940.
That was when operation Weserübung started, the German invasion of Norway. There is a famous photo from the 9 April 1940 where German troops are marching down the main street in Oslo, Karl Johans gate. On the photo there is a bicycle with its owner standing as bystanders and looking at the marching German troops. Right from the start of the invasion, small groups of resistance was formed and one of the main transports for the resistance was the bicycles. Bicycles were rather inexpensive, needed no fuel, were quiet, fast and you could transport items over a large distance quickly.
The man on the photo is not known, but Gunnar Sønsteby aka. number 24 or Kjakan, one of the most famous resistance fighters during the war, was known to ride a similar bicycle during his actions in the resistance.
My Diamant has many features that matches with the bicycle on the classic photo. The soft curved handlebars, the brake leavers, the position of the bicycle bell along with the chromed lower parts of the front fork along with the drum brake in the front wheel. The chance of being exactly the same bicycle are miniscule, if not impossible. But, it is the same style or even perhaps the same brand of bicycle. An half racer with typical Norwegian traits such as drum brakes and the placement of the bicycle bell.
Further more about the bicycle. As I am told, it was owned by the owner of an local Oslo bicycle shop and was used as a model for the statue “The man with the bike”. A statue made by the artist Per Ung in 2007 portraying Gunnar Sønsteby with his bicycle. A nice detail is that the location of the statue today is about exactly where the young man was standing with his bicycle in the photo from 1940.
There is some differences, for example the statue bicycle have a luggage-rack. My bicycle do not have any luggage-rack. But that is an part that might have been lost along all the years. Age is an factor for different wear and tear, parts come and go, and as I mentioned earlier the tires are cracked and rotten due to old age and bad storage.
If I would like to renovate the bicycle, but there is problems right from the start. The tires are in the just as old as odd sport dimension of 28″ 1 3/8. It is rather impossible to find new tires in that dimension today. I think there is a shop in Italy that have them, but I guess those Italian tires are not made by Askim Gummivarefabrik. Then we have the brake leavers which are two different types, one original rather old looking and the other seems to be a motorcycle handle of some sort.
Then we have the mystery of the English made drum brakes. First of all, it is rather counter productive to have heavy drum brakes mounted in the wheels of a light weight racer if you ask me. But the part that really surprised me was the rear brake linkage. It is clearly designed as an “pull to brake” brake with an arm that manoeuvrers up and down when applying or realising brakage. But here we find on the end of the rear braking wire, a strange solder-less barrel nipple that were way to large to fit the brake leaver so it could apply the brake pads in a sufficient manner.
In short, the rear brake have not been working for really a long time. Lastly there was the mystery of every spoke in the front wheel was loose. I have seen one, two or even three spokes. But all of them, every one? I have never experienced that.
What will I do with the bicycle? I have no idea at all, it is such a unique bicycle with such powerful and interesting lore about it that I might just keep it as is. Just refurbish the bearings and other ware and tare parts, only to make it a fairly usable bicycle again. Will I buy new tires to replace the old ones?
No, I think they are a part of the mojo of the bicycle. The look now is just like it would have been in Oslo back in the 1940’s, without headlight due to the restrictions of travel and blackout during the war. The bicycle is ready to be used to deliver pamphlets, underground news papers and other dangerous items.
Just what is needed in the resistance, a quick and quiet orderly bicycle.
schneebremse 